Alberta Employers Prepare For More Weed in the Workplace as Legalization Looms

Approximately 150 employers from across Alberta met in Edmonton on Friday to discuss the likely impact of cannabis legalization on the workplace.

Many of the employers at the Cannabis At Work conference are already playing catchup as more and more of their employees are being prescribed medical marijuana.

“The rates [of use] are going up. The amount of conditions that medical cannabis seems to support or improve are quite broad. It does have a lot of pharmaceutical benefit,” said Jason Sheehy, director of occupational health services at SureHire, a company that conducts drug tests for employers.

“People do have the right to access medical cannabis and to use it, but that’s in direct conflict with workplace safety, which is where this conflict and rub exist,” said Alison McMahon, the CEO of Cannabis At Work.

As employers work through that, there’s also the expected legalization of marijuana, which could lead to even more employees lighting up.

Just last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said new marijuana legislation should be ready by the summer.